Determined to squeeze the last drop of blood out of the suffering Cuban people and dismember any remaining economic activity still capable of generating foreign currency revenue, Secretary of State Marco Rubio on July 23 announced his latest set of sanctions against Cuba, targeting “the Corrupt Cuban Communist Regime and its Financial Backers.” Acting under the authority of the May 1, 2026 Executive Order 14404, Rubio asserted that Cuba represents a “deep multifaceted threat to U.S. national security and hemispheric stability.” Nine entities and two individuals are newly sanctioned.
Even as he bragged about a U.S. shipment of humanitarian aid to Cuba sent this past week, the first of a $100 million allocation with food and medical supplies, Rubio made clear he intends to eliminate any economic activity, especially anything having to do with energy production or import, able to sustain human life by generating foreign currency. The Fact Sheet accompanying Rubio’s announcement reports that the new sanctions will “continue to limit the Cuban regime’s access to illicit funds, including those gained through the exploitation of medical workers and sanctions evasion efforts.”
